Those who are already on the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable list will receive a further letter to inform them of this (some people have already begun to receive this information by text or email).
The new shielding group identified by the "QCOVID" study and model are likely to begin receiving letters over the next few days. As previously explained, this new cohort has been identified by looking at the characteristics of the people who have become seriously ill with Coronavirus.
If you are part of this 'new' group you are now eligible to receive a Coronavirus vaccination because you are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable. You can choose to travel to the large vaccination sites that can be booked through the national website, or wait a short while to be contacted by their GP and receive their vaccination more locally.
For more information on the new risk factors that have been identified, there is more information here:
The QCOVID model is complex - having a single risk factor from those identified by the study won't necessarily lead to a person being identified as CEV and being advised to shield; it will usually take a combination of risk factors before this is the case, and some of the risk factors are considered more significant than others.
Some of the most common and significant new risk factors identified are (high) BMI, Down's Syndrome, chemotherapy, kidney disease and diabetes - there is more information on the website above.
The people who are being added to the shielding list will be able to access the same support (e.g. priority supermarket slots) as those who are currently on it. The advice to shield is still simply advice - it's designed to protect people who are clinically extremely vulnerable, but there's nothing to prevent an individual making other decisions within the constraints of the national lockdown guidance if they wish to do so.